]]>Fargo is lining up its victims for season two and who’ve they’ve got in store are wonderful additions. It’s been reported that Ted Danson, Nick Offerman, and Patrick Wilson will join Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons in freezing their asses off on the Minnesota set. But that’s not all. A press release lays out how the rest of the cast will be rounded out.

The all new “true crime” case of Fargo’s new chapter travels back to 1979 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Luverne, Minnesota, where a young State Police Officer “Lou Solverson” (Patrick Wilson), recently back from Vietnam, investigates a case involving a local crime gang and a major Mob syndicate. Helping him piece things together is his father-in-law, “Sheriff Hank Larsson” (Ted Danson). The investigation will lead them to a colorful cast of characters that includes “Karl Weathers” (Nick Offerman), the town lawyer of Luverne, Minnesota. A Korean War vet, Karl is a flowery drunk blessed with the gift of gab and the eloquence of a true con artist. Three-time Emmy winner Brad Garrett will play “Joe Bulo,” the front man for the northern expansion of a Kansas City crime syndicate. The new face of corporate crime, Joe’s bringing a Walmart mentality to small town America. His number two is “Mike Milligan” (Bokeem Woodbine). Part enforcer, part detective, Mike is always smiling – but the joke is usually on you. Bulo and his crew have their sights set on the Gerhardt crime family in Fargo, currently led by matriarch “Floyd Gerhardt” (Jean Smart). With her husband at death’s door, Floyd takes over the family business, frustrating her eldest son, “Dodd Gerhardt” (Jeffrey Donovan). An impatient hothead with a cruel streak to match his ambitions, Dodd can’t wait for both his parents to die so he can take over and expand their business from kingdom to empire. “Bear Gerhardt” (Angus Sampson) is the middle son, an intimidatingly large man who, although inarticulate, is the most decent of his clan. “Rye Gerhardt” (Kieran Culkin), the youngest of the Gerhardt clan, views himself as a big shot, but in reality he’s just a small dog who barks big.

You honestly had me at “Nick Offerman as Karl Weathers.” The constant threat of a chainsaw bloodbath just makes it all the more sweet.

]]>Following in the footsteps of Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties, The Conjuring sequel will be hopping across the pond to jolly, old, haunted-as-f*ck England. New Line has announced that The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist will re-open the case files of Ed and Lorraine Warren in theaters on June 10, 2016 with James Wan at the helm once more.

The Enfield Poltergeist refers to claims of poltergeist activity in a village in England in the late 1970s that involved levitating children and demonic possession. So, basically The Conjuring but in England. It’s a popular trope for a sequel to head overseas, though we’ll have to wait to see what makes this film distinct besides Vera Farmiga suddenly putting mayonnaise on french fries. The studio hopes that this followup to the smash hit will be just as successful and paves the way for Annabelle In Space. (THR)

]]>Stretch looks to be Joe Carnahan’s return to the frenetic, mayhemic, film-making that he flirted with in Smokin’ Aces. Much like that movie, Stretch appears to be all style over substance as Patrick Wilson‘s limo driver spends a night doing shady things in LA’s underbelly. This red band trailer centers on the film’s nudity, violence, drugs, and Chris Pine acting like a crazy person. All that’s missing is Peter Berg getting his SAG days.

]]>You quickly learn, working in (or reporting on) the film industry, that there’s actually very little glamour on set. It’s really boring, with a bunch of people standing around, waiting for ten seconds of action. While filming a sex scene may not be boring, the fact that it’s two (relative) strangers surrounded by a whole crew standing around can make things pretty awkward.

In this behind-the-scenes clip from Joe Carnahan‘s upcoming Stretch, we see that even when you’ve got two very attractive leads, the whole thing seems like…well, work. They’re laughing to cut the tension, playing loud music to cut the tension, spraying Evian mist on the actors. The whole thing is pretty weird.

And I’m not sure what the rules about erections are, but I’m guessing that’s pretty damn awkward as well.

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/video/this-video-shows-us-just-how-unsexy-filming-a-sex-scene-is-even-with-brooklyn-decker/feed/0The Film Cult Presents: Hard Candyhttp://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/the-film-cult-presents-hard-candy/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/the-film-cult-presents-hard-candy/#commentsFri, 19 Sep 2014 17:27:29 +0000http://www.screenjunkies.com/?p=265243The revenge Page’s character takes out on Wilson is calculated, diabolical. It’s hard to argue that Wilson's character doesn’t deserve it, so I won't. That said, there is a sense of the predatory to Hayley. She’s been working at this.

]]>Okay, kids. This week, we’re going dark. After reviewing Contact last week, and Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work the week before as a tribute to the recently passed comedy icon, I thought it was a good time to take a bite out of a weird, uncomfortable movie that also happens to be awesome.

Before she was Juno, Ellen Page was Hayley, a smart teen who at first glimpse seems innocent and vulnerable. We meet her through a flirtatious online chat she carries out with Jeff, played by the eternally beautiful Patrick Wilson, the all-round good guy photographer with the beautiful LA house and the smile to match. What follows, after they decide to meet in person, is a cat and mouse game that under the helm of any other, less-talented actors would veer into schlocky kitsch. But with Wilson and Page leading the charge, what we get is a psychological thriller about the atrocities of sexual child abuse.

I cannot understate how awesome Ellen Page is in this movie. I’m pretty sure she was born an acting genius. Her acting is acute, visceral. Still only a teen, her timing is perfect, and the breadth of her chops is masterful. From one moment to the next she’s vulnerable then vindictive, logical then irrational.

Her acting is most assuredly matched by Patrick Wilson’s, who’s been making amazing, understated movies for years. He plays the good guy with a secret so well that when you find out he ‘s a child molester you’re so disappointed you can’t help but start to root for Ellen Page’s character Hayley. He’s got that glint in his eye, that charismatic laugh. He’s got it all, just as so many predators do, the perfect blend of nice guy sexy to lure his victims.

The revenge Page’s character takes out on Wilson is calculated, diabolical. It’s hard to argue that Wilson’s character doesn’t deserve it, so I won’t. That said, there is a sense of the predatory to Hayley. She’s been working at this. She didn’t just find this pedophile in the street. She’s been hunting him, just as he’s been hunting his own victims. She’s been working overtime to concoct a trap for her prey. And what a trap it is. I’ve never seen a faux castration play so well on screen. She then, not unlike Hanibal Lector, goes straight for the mind. She knows how to get under Jeff’s skin, whispering what will happen if he doesn’t turn himself in, and ultimately, if he doesn’t kill himself, which is her ultimate goal.

I love movies in which there is no happy ending. For instance, my favorite movie of all time is Rosemary’s Baby. I love when no on wins. I get so sick of everyone living happily ever after. That’s not life. No, in a movie where the two main characters are both a little nuts, and one of them is an actual pedophile, motherfuckers are gonna die.

Using his ex-girlfriend against him, Hayley leads Jeff to the roof of his LA home where she slips a noose around his neck. This scene, in which she convinces him to commit suicide, is reminiscent of the famous scene in Hitchcock’s Rebecca in which Mrs. Danvers tries to convince the new Mrs. de Winter to jump from the window of Manderlay. Thankfully, Mrs. De Winter doesn’t jump. Jeff—the beautiful photographer with the seemingly perfect life—does jump.

One of the great things about this film is what makes other films like Rosemary’s Baby so amazing. Not one moment of child abuse is depicted on screen. The abuse is only ever vaguely spoken of. I don’t like torture porn movies where young people are hurt. I can’t handle that shit. Not only do I think it’s unseemly, but I also think it’s more effective to leave it all to the imagination. That’s where the real danger lies, in our mind.

Hard Candy is a great, low-budget psychological thriller that everyone should see. You’ll never watch Juno in the same way again.

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/the-film-cult-presents-hard-candy/feed/0211200_s‘Space Station 76′ Trailer: The Future We Almost Hadhttp://www.screenjunkies.com/video/space-station-76-trailer-the-future-we-almost-had/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/video/space-station-76-trailer-the-future-we-almost-had/#commentsTue, 22 Jul 2014 18:44:40 +0000http://www.screenjunkies.com/?post_type=video&p=263252Think of it like 'The Ice Storm' but with robotic hands.

]]>Patrick Wilson takes a break from battling creepy ghosts to battle suburban malaise… IN SPACE. Space Station 76 is a vision of the future imagined by the past. The retro future sci-fi comedy also launches Liv Tyler, Matt Bomer, Jerry O’Connell, one of those little Nintendo robots, and Freddy Got Fingered star Marisa Coughlan into space during the age of key parties. Think of it like The Ice Storm but with robotic hands.

]]>There’s only so much Patrick Wilson and Ethan Hawke to go around. And so, producer Jason Blum has now decided to build an inexpensive ghost story around Aaron Eckhart. He’ll play the blonde guy in Incarnate, “an unconventional exorcist who can tap into the subconscious of the possessed.” It’s reported he’ll meet his match when a demon from his past possesses a 9-year old boy.

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/its-aaron-eckharts-turn-to-copy-the-insidious-model/feed/0‘Insidious 2′ International Trailer Pretty Much Ignores ‘Insidious’http://www.screenjunkies.com/video/insidious-2-international-trailer-pretty-much-ignores-insidious/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/video/insidious-2-international-trailer-pretty-much-ignores-insidious/#commentsMon, 29 Jul 2013 20:35:02 +0000http://www.screenjunkies.com/?post_type=video&p=256129Looks like they didn't spend more money on The Further this time.

]]>Ah, the joys of raising a haunted child. After moving into yet another new house, Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne just can’t shake those pesky ghosts. The international trailer for Insidious: Chapter 2 mostly shows us what we’ve already seen when Wilson and Byrne move the family into grandma’s house and pretty much ruin its resale value. Even in this market, murder houses are notoriously tough to unload.

]]>When the first Insidious ended with a horrible, violent murder, we all knew that there was more trouble in store for America’s Most Haunted. The characters in the film somehow didn’t get that memo though, as the trailer for Insidious, Chapter 2 finds them trying to get on with their lives only to be surprised when an ass ton of ghosts descend on their grandma’s house in order to slam doors and dick around with the baby monitor.

It’s more cost-effective scares as more haunted happenings return us to The Further in this micro-budget sequel. I’m psyched but it’s not a good sign when you want to slap the characters based off the trailer.

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/video/insidious-chapter-2-trailer-more-cost-effective-scares/feed/0‘The Conjuring’ Trailer: So Scary I May Have Pooped On My Underpantshttp://www.screenjunkies.com/video/the-conjuring-trailer-so-scary-i-may-have-pooped-on-my-underpants/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/video/the-conjuring-trailer-so-scary-i-may-have-pooped-on-my-underpants/#commentsWed, 27 Feb 2013 23:30:46 +0000http://www.screenjunkies.com/?post_type=video&p=253797Yet another reason why playing with your kids is a bad idea.

]]>James Wan has found himself a nice little niche. Step 1) Make very scary movies for very little money. Step 2) Go to the bank.

Previously, Wan earned $100 million on a $1.5 million investment with Insidious. His latest, The Conjuring, looks scary enough to earn all the money. Stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga (who don’t appear in this trailer) play a husband and wife team of ghost hunters investigating a remote farmhouse. They quickly learn that they are in over their heads when the supernatural activity grows more and more violent. I’m really impressed by the hide and seek sequence featured in this trailer. Suppose you’re a ghost and a new family moves into your house and immediately starts playing hide and seek while blindfold. How can you not f**k with them? This ghost, though, just takes it to an amazing level. It deserves our respect.

This film was originally slated for January 2013 release but due to resounding praise from audiences, the film was pushed back to August to rake in those sweet, sweet summer dollars.

]]>James Wan is responsible for the mostly-maligned (except by the millions of people who go see the movies) Sawseries, but his reputation in horror is improving since the release of Insidious, which is supposed to be pretty good. And his upcoming thrillerThe Conjuringhas a couple of famous faces to go with its irritating “The _____ing” title: Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.

It looks like the movie is going to be one of those “based on a true story wink wink” haunted house deals, like The Amityville Horror. Wilson previously worked with Wan on Insidious, but Farmiga is new to the Guy Who Did Saw Club. They will be playing a married pair of “demonologists” who take on the case of their lives, whatever, loud noises, demons, shadows, you know the deal. I hope it’s good! (The Hollywood Reporter)

]]>Awhile back, Screen Junkies interviewed The Ledge star Charlie Hunnam at Sundance. It ended up not being pretty, but we’re ready to let bigones be bigones, and won’t let the bad memories associated with the interview color our presentation of the trailer. I promise to be completely fair and unbiased.

The Ledge, a poopy movie for dumb-dumbs, was written and directed by Matthew Chapman. The movie, about a bunch of jerks who get caught in a stupid-looking love triangle, stars Liv Tyler, Charlie Hunnam, Patrick Wilson and Terrence Howard. From the stinky trailer, I gather that Hunnam has to jump off the ledge, or his lover Tyler will be killed by her religious zealot husband Wilson. Oh, and when I said the trailer was stinky, I meant it smells like a fart.

IFC Films will push the movie off a ledge for a limited theatrical release June 29th. Also: two thumbs down.

]]>The art of voice over narration often gets a bad rap. “It’s a crutch,” they say, “for lazy filmmakers,” they say. “Show me,” they say, “don’t tell me,” they say. But every once in a while a voice comes along that makes even the haters consider the possibilities of a good narrator. In my opinion, the great J.K. Simmons has one of those voices – so I’m pleased to report that he will be providing hopefully Ron-Howard-approved narration for Jason Reitman‘s Young Adult.

Sharp-eared readers might remember that Simmons also provided a small voice over appearance in last year’s True Grit, showing that he might be on his way to being one of “those voices,” like Morgan Freeman or Tim Allen. This also isn’t the first time he’s worked with Reitman and Young Adult‘s universally beloved screenwriter Diablo Cody, having appeared in their previous collaboration Juno.

Young Adult also stars Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, and Patton Oswalt, and “follows the story of a divorced 30-something young-adult fiction writer (Theron) who returns to her Minnesota home to chase after her now-married-with-kids ex-boyfriend (Wilson) with Oswalt playing a semi-crippled ol high school acquaintance who befriends the narcissistic and misguided female.” Now just imagine that being said by J.K. Simmons, and you’ll have a good idea of what the movie will be like. (The Playlist)

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/j-k-simmons-to-bark-over-young-adult/feed/0JK-Simmons-Juno.4SXSW: ‘Insidious’ Previewhttp://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-review/sxsw-insidious-preview/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-review/sxsw-insidious-preview/#commentsSat, 12 Mar 2011 08:27:52 +0000http://www.screenjunkies.com/?p=201397SXSW offered a first look at the premiere of the new James Wan/Leigh Whannell film.

SXSW offered a first look at the premiere of the new James Wan/Leigh Whannell film Insidious. My first thoughts were a bit of self-reflection. I have to appreciate horror movies on a different level than the target audience. I’m not scared by ghosts and monsters and slasher killers. I can appreciate it as a story, and often some deep fantasy, but I’m not scared. Insidious has enough that should scare the horror believers and creates an in-depth mythology that objective viewers like me can respect.

Renee (Rose Byrn) and Josh (Patrick Wilson) move into a new house where apparitions pop up behind windows and push books off the shelves. Their son Dalton falls into a coma. That’s a taboo plot twist that Hollywood horror wouldn’t allow. The visions get stronger and Renee experiences them the most.

The scares at this point are solid. You see enough unsettling disturbances, some grinning twins or a bloody handprint on the sheets, to get your Shining on. Here is where the film gets smart though. They move out of the house. Josh may be skeptical but he’s willing to do it for Renee’s well being.

Of course, it wasn’t the house, it was the family. In the new house, the ghosts get more interactive. A ghostly child actually makes Renee play hide and seek. Josh’s mom Lorraine (Barbara Hershey) calls a spiritual advisor, Elise (Lin Shaye) to help. That’s when the mythology gets deep.

Elise explains astral projection to create a really mature, perceptive view of the supernatural. Leigh Whannell’s script incorporates spiritual powers and philosophy that even casual readers of pop metaphysics would appreciate. Elise and her assistants Tucker (Angus Sampson) and Specs (Leigh Whannell) can’t stop the other world from causing trouble so the pace builds as the mythology develops.

Elise introduces the concept of The Further, which the film explores as a new vision of the world beyond our own. It’s more dreamlike than Nightmare on Elm Street and full of unsettling images and sound. The characters aren’t passive. Renee and Josh get hands on to save their son. Josh has to be the nay sayer but they make him reasonable.

I was most interested when the film kicked into its spiritual gear, but the whole film is well done. James Wan shoots the houses so that every angle on a room or staircase makes it look completely different. He reveals the disturbing elements in effective tracking shots, obscuring some things and playing with screen space. It’s not just jump scares.

I was invested in the otherworldly adventure of Insidious, which is definitely more epic than the usual haunted house story. I would look forward to further adventures in The Further.

]]>The Belgian thriller Loft is the latest foreign film to get an English-language remake, and two favorites Patrick Wilson and James Marsden have signed on to play the leads. Here’s what it’s about:

“The plot involves five men who rent a loft apartment together where they can bring their mistresses, only to discover a woman’s body there, raising the possibility that any one of them could be the killer.”

So it appears that Loft falls into the subgenre of “bros in trouble” movies. Wilson especially is great for this type of movie, as evidenced by his performance in the “bros in trouble” (more accurately “bro in trouble”) movie Hard Candy.

The director of the original Loft, Erik Van Looy will be directing the English-language version. So try and track down a copy of the original before this comes out so you can feel cooler than your friends. (via The Playlist)

]]>When I first wrote about Insidious, my main question was ‘Why does that ghost look like a cross-dressing Michael Myers?’ This new trailer doesn’t reveal that answer. It only poses more questions. It seems as if there are multiple g-g-g-g-GHOSTS!!! ***leaves Wookie Johnson-shaped hole in wall while fleeing***

I’m told that the film, though formulaic, really delivers on scares. To me, it looks like a really scary version of “Ghosthunters,” which could be a cool premise. Noticing strange goings-on, concerned parents of a creepy kid hire paranormal investigators, only to discover it’s not their house that’s haunted but their son. Why they don’t leave the kid in the supermarket parking lot a few towns over is beyond me.

The movie stars Rose Byrne, Patrick Wilson, Barbara Hershey, and apparently the ghost of Darth Maul. Good to see him working again.

]]>Take some pretty white people, throw in a creepy little kid with pale eyes, and stir in a bunch quick cuts. Season with tense music stings and you’ve a recipe for success, or at least, most horror films from the last five years. Here’s the teaser from James Wan‘s (Saw) latest. The film comes out April first, and you’d be a fool not to see it!*

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/video/insidious-teaser-boasts-wilson-byrne-creepy-kid/feed/0Sundance Review: The Ledgehttp://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-review/sundance-review-the-ledge/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-review/sundance-review-the-ledge/#commentsSat, 22 Jan 2011 01:09:53 +0000http://www.screenjunkies.com/?p=21528The Ledge is a big misdirect. You think it’s going to be a standoff movie where a cop has to talk a jumper down. That’s really just the hook.

The Ledge is a big misdirect. You think it’s going to be a standoff movie where a cop has to talk a jumper down. That’s really just the hook. It’s really a theological debate between an atheist and a homophobic zealot. I guess you can’t really lead with that.

Gavin (Charlie Hunnam) steps out onto the ledge of a roof. Hollis (Terrence Howard) is called to talk him down. Hollis just found out that he can’t donate sperm because he’s infertile. He has kids. So he’s got that going on. Gavin tells the story of what led him to the ledge.

Shana (Liv Tyler), Gavin’s new hotel employee also happens to be his neighbor. Gavin and his gay roommate Chris (Chris Gorham) invite the neighbors for dinner, and Shana’s husband Joe (Patrick Wilson) thinks they’re both gay and prays for God to help them correct their abominable choice. Now Gavin is not gay, but he still knows that’s wrong.

It’s interesting that the Sundance audience laughed at Joe’s comments. In a progressive audience, that sounds like humor because obviously we know his suggestions of homosexuality correcting programs are evil. I think most audiences will find it horrific. At least I hope they do.

Gavin engages in theological debates with Joe while trying to save Shana from such an oppressive man. I think it’s bold to make a movie so heavily centered on a hot button issue. I just don’t think it really explores it fully.

Joe takes the typical unwavering approach that the only salvation is being born again. Gavin’s all about evidence. I don’t think it’s either God exists or he doesn’t. Beliefs can enrich people’s lives and make them want to love. Joe’s beliefs make him hate. Where does that come from?

Narratively, I have a problem with the whole movie being a flashback. I know if you didn’t start on the ledge, it wouldn’t get juicy for about a half hour, but that’s the screenwriter’s problem to solve (same guy, writer/director Matthew Chapman.) This overdone crutch of the teaser opening informs way too much of the plot. Now nothing could happen that would prohibit Gavin from ending up on the ledge. It doesn’t take too much deduction to figure out which of the five characters is behind the plot and what Gavin’s choice will have to be.

It’s interesting that there are at least two films at Sundance with homophobic villains. That’s what Red State is about too, in a slasher movie format. I guess society has gotten to the point where artists want to tackle this head on. Everyone who protested Basic Instinct and Silence of the Lambs in the early ‘90s, here’s a movie where a raging heterosexual is the villain.

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-review/sundance-review-the-ledge/feed/11Patrick-Wilson-The-Ledge-movie-image-600×399James Wan Returns To Horror With ‘Insidious’http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/james-wan-returns-to-horror-with-insidious/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/james-wan-returns-to-horror-with-insidious/#commentsWed, 29 Dec 2010 18:36:24 +0000http://www.screenjunkies.com/?p=13661We won't have to wait much longer to see Rose Byrne get chased around by a ghost that looks like a cross-dressing Michael Myers.

We won’t have to wait much longer to see Rose Byrne get chased around by a ghost that looks like a cross-dressing Michael Myers. Saw director James Wan is back in the horror game after taking a few years off. He’s re-teamed with Leigh Whannell for Insidious, a haunted house story about a couple who fight to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.

The film will open April 1st after positive festival reactions. Many critics were abuzz about Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson‘s portrayal of the parents. I don’t really know if that ghost is supposed to be scary. I’m getting more of a Bubbe vibe than cursed succubus that will drag your first-born to an eternity of Detroit Hell. (Coming Soon)

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/james-wan-returns-to-horror-with-insidious/feed/0insideousPatton Oswalt In For Jason Reitman’s ‘Young Adult’, Patrick Wilson In Talkshttp://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/patton-oswalt-in-for-jason-reitmans-young-adult-patrick-wilson-in-talks/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/patton-oswalt-in-for-jason-reitmans-young-adult-patrick-wilson-in-talks/#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000Patton Oswalt has signed on to play Charlize Theron's chubby best friend in Young Adult. Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody, who last worked together on Juno, are teaming up again for the film about a woman who returns to her high school town to basically stalk her old boyfriend like she's Marky Mark. The guy's got a wife and kid now though, so he's not interested in Charlize. Not interested? His Mrs. must do crazy sh*t in the sack.
Josh Brolin decided he couldn't pretend Charlize isn't worth leaving his wife for and now Patrick Wilson is in talks for the role. Seems like a missed opportunity to put Wilson in a fat suit and cast him as the best friend and Oswalt as the ex-boyfriend. I'd love to watch Charlize beg Oswalt to have sex with her and he looks up at her with stern eyes and proclaims, "No, Ugly!" (/Film)

Patton Oswalt has signed on to play Charlize Theron’s chubby best friend in Young Adult. Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody, who last worked together on Juno, are teaming up again for the film about a woman who returns to he high school town to basically stalk her old boyfriend like she’s Marky Mark. The guy’s got a wife and kid now though, so he’s not interested in Charlize. Not interested? His Mrs. must do crazy sh*t in the sack.

Josh Brolin decided he couldn’t pretend Charlize isn’t worth leaving his wife for and now Patrick Wilson is in talks for the role. Seems like a missed opportunity to put Wilson in a fat suit and cast him as the best friend and Oswalt as the ex-boyfriend. I’d love to watch Charlize beg Oswalt to have sex with her and he looks up at her with stern eyes and proclaims, "No, Ugly!" (/Film)

The A-Team is a big, wild, and un-P.C. knuckle punch of a summer ride.

Based upon the campy 80s action TV series of the same name, a team of hot-doggin’-bruised forearm military men led by Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson, at his stoic cigar chompin’ best). The men at his side are Templeton “Face” Peck (Bradley Cooper doing his smarmy and swaggered best), a sly Guido type, who is quick with his hands and mind, H.M.“Howlin’ Mad” Murdoch (Sharlto Copley of District 9 in a go for broke, zany performance), a brilliant but mad-capped pilot, and B.A. Baracus (UFC Fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson), a tightly wound pit bull with his signature “Pity” and “Fool” tattooed on his mammoth knuckles.

As the motley crew spans the globe, made apparent by title cards like “Somewhere in Mexico” to "Iraq War" to "West Banks of Germany," each man has his specialty and intro screen smashing sequence.

The assignment in the film is to retrieve special money engraving plates, which will lead the team to being double-crossed by a rouge black ops agent named Pike (Brian Bloom, also co-writer of the movie) and the CIA, lead by the fit and spray-tanned group of Patrick Wilson and Jessica Biel.

On a whole, the plot is just a macguffin for director Joe Carnahan and writer Bloom to relish in the dirt, blood, and sweat of these red-meat eating characters and the ongoing plot and battle sequences feel like an expensive afterthought.

One of the great surprises here is actor/co-writer Brian Bloom’s performance as Pike, at unknown screen actor who usually specializes in video game voiceovers. Here he shows real menacing talent with his steely blue eyes and deep-graded voice. A darkly comical scene involving him and a car full of dim witted CIA agents about the nature of killing a man with a silencer shows how he and director Carnahan like to focus on the little details of action with character.

While there are plenty of big absurd action moments from exploding planes, cargo docks going up in flames, and a falling tank that defies the law of physics, the movie is also chock full of small surprises from a fireworks fight involving real fireworks to Murdoch’s cooking recipes involving gun powder and anti-freeze. At times it does get out of hand with a “How’s My Driving?” bummer stick on the free falling tank, yet what lies in the success of big obnoxious summer movies are those little attention to details.

With The A-Team, the mid-point in the summer of mercenary action team movies is here, from last month’s little seen The Losers to August’s grand opus The Expendables. It may not be an A kind of movie but with a B, The A-Team gets the job done, while well-peppered in gunpowder and sweat.

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-review/review-the-a-team/feed/2‘Morning Glory’ Trailer with Harrison Ford Doesn’t Totally Suck Thanks to JJ Abramshttp://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/morning-glory-trailer-with-harrison-ford-doesnt-totally-suck-thanks-to-jj-abrams/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/morning-glory-trailer-with-harrison-ford-doesnt-totally-suck-thanks-to-jj-abrams/#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 JJ Abrams gives Ford and McAdams a sneak peek at the "Lost" finale. Finally, a movie staring Harrison Ford that you're supposed to laugh at (besides Six Days Seven Nights and Hollywood Homicide, which you were supposed to laugh at, but didn't). Morning Glory, produced by golden boy JJ Abrams and co-staring Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson, and Jeff Goldblum, seems like it might have some legitimate humor. The movie tells the story of a &ldquo;hotshot television producer is set the challenge of reviving a struggling morning show program, despite the constant feuding of its high-profile anchors.&rdquo; It comes across as part Network, part "Today Now", and part steaming pile of sh*t. That last part is probably due to the fact that the film shares a screenwriter with The Devil Wears Prada and a director with Notting Hill. Even so, the trailer looks pretty good until the 2:00 mark, when Ford gets emotional and that Natasha Bedingfield song kicks in (I looked her up). See the trailer for yourself after the jump.

Finally, a movie staring Harrison Ford that you’re supposed to laugh at (besides Six Days Seven Nights and Hollywood Homicide, which you were supposed to laugh at, but didn’t).

Morning Glory, produced by golden boy JJ Abrams and co-staring Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton, Patrick Wilson, and Jeff Goldblum, seems like it might have some legitimate humor. The movie tells the story of a “hotshot television producer is set the challenge of reviving a struggling morning show program, despite the constant feuding of its high-profile anchors.” It comes across as part Network, part "Today Now", and part steaming pile of sh*t. That last part is probably due to the fact that the film shares a screenwriter with Th Devil Wears Prada and a director with Notting Hill. Even so, the trailer looks pretty good until the 2:00 mark, when Ford gets emotional and that Natasha Bedingfield song kicks in (I looked her up).

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/morning-glory-trailer-with-harrison-ford-doesnt-totally-suck-thanks-to-jj-abrams/feed/0New ‘The A-Team’ Trailer Spits in Gravity’s Facehttp://www.screenjunkies.com/video/new-the-a-team-trailer-spits-in-gravitys-face/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/video/new-the-a-team-trailer-spits-in-gravitys-face/#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 "Just sliding down a building with my feet. No big deal." Warning: If you thought the last trailer for The A-Team was ridiculous you better redefine your idea of the word. Otherwise this new trailer will boggle your sense of reason so completely that you may need to self inflict pain in order to keep a firm grasp on reality. Most of this is Rampage Jackson's doing. Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, and the aforementioned gravity-defying Jackson all look like badasses in the action-packed trailer, but I think it's Patrick Wilson who really deserves a shoutout. Not only is he playing the villain, which we don't see much from him, but there's no indication that he's in danger of losing his testicles in this movie. After Hard Candy and Barry Munday, Wilson must have wanted to branch out and take on one of those "non-castration" type of roles. Check out The A Team trailer after the jump, if you're capable of suspending your sense of disbelief.

Warning: If you thought the last trailer for The A-Team was ridiculous you better redefine your idea of the word. Otherwise this new trailer will boggle your sense of reason so completely that you may need to self inflict pain in order to keep a firm grasp on reality. Most of this is Rampage Jackson‘s doing.

Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, and the aforementioned gravity-defying Jackson all look like badasses in the action-packed trailer, but I think it’s Patrick Wilson who really deserves a shoutout. Not only is he playing the villain, which we don’t see much from him, but there’s no indication that he’s in danger of losing his testicles in this movie. After Hard Candy and Barry Munday, Wilson must have wanted to branch out and take on one of those "non-castration" type of roles.

Check out The A Team trailer after the jump, if you’re capable of suspending your sense of disbelief.